Apparatus for making tea bags, coffee bags, and the like



' Aug. 6, 1940. R. DQBLE 2,210,114

APPARATUS FOR MAKING TEA BAGS, COFFEE BAGS, AND THELIKE i im ; L-zs 22 Invenfor:

Ralph N. Doble byfmd MzM ATTYS.

Aug. 6 1940. DQBLE 2,210,114

APPARATUS FOR MAKING TEA BAGS, COFFEE BAGS, AND THE LIKE Filed March 17, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 InvenTor.

Rcflph N. Dob\e b MMQW A1 Tys.

'Aug- 1 w R. N. DOBLE 2.210,114

APPARATUS FOR MAKING TEA BAGS, COFFEE BAGS, AND THE LIKE Filed March 1?, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet. s

lnvenTor.

Ralph N.Dob|e ATT SQ Patented Aug. 6, 1940 r V UNITED S ATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR MAKING TEA BAGS,

COFFEE BAGS, AND THE LIKE I RalphN. Dble,1-Iingham, Mass, I Application March 17, 1938, Serial No.196,381

Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of tea bags, cofiee bags and the like and particularly to bags of the so-called,pouch type. v

These pouch type coffee bags or tea bags are that the bag material becomes. folded up around thefilling tube by the edges of the bag-forming 'opening. While the filling .tube still remains within the partially formed bag, a charge of tea, coffee or other ingredient is delivered into the tube and is conveyed thereby into the bag. The

tube is then withdrawn and the marginal portions of the blank are gathered together to close the mouth of the bag, said mouth being held permanently closed by asuitable string or other fastening device which'is tied around the mouth;

- In the present invention I have provided a sup-.

porting plate having a" bag-forming opening of such a construction that when the bag material is forced through the bag-forming opening the portion of the blank which is folded up against the sides of the tube is formed into a plurality 0f pairs of inner folds having a predetermined arrangement and a corresponding number of pairs of outer folds also having a predetermined,

arrangement and which overlie the inner folds. If the bag is made from a rectangular blank, the

- inner folds will be formed from the center por-.

tions of the sides of the blank, while the outer folds will beformed from the corner portions ofthe blank.

Because the diametrical distance across a rectangular blank from the center of one side to the center of the opposite side is less thanthe diagonal distance across the blank from one corner to the opposite corner, the inner folds, which are formed from the central portions of "the blank, will be somewhat shorter thanthe' outer folds, which areformed from the corner portionsof the blank, and in the completed bag these longer outer folds overlie the shorter inner folds, whereby a bag produced in which the shorter folds are enclosed within and covered by the longer folds.

In the drawings wherein I have illustrated some selected embodimentsof my invention;

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan View; of a portion of a bag-forming machine embodyingmy invention; I

Fig. "2 is an enlarged plan view of the supporting plate having ,a bag-forming opening of a shape to form a bag as above described; 5

Fig. 3 is a vertical fragmentary sectional View illustrating the operation of the combined bagforming and filling tube in making the bag, the supporting plate being shown in section on'substantially the line 3-4, Fig. 2; I 10" Fig. 4 is a section through thesupporting plate 'on the line 4-4, Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a partially formed bag made on the device illustrated Figs. 1

Fig. 6 shows a top plan view of the bag during the first stages of its'formation; Fig. 7 is a topplan view of the bag showing the arrangement of the folds before the bag is closed; 7

Fig. 8 is a view illustrating a completed bag;

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing a supporting plate having a bag-forming opening of a slightly different shape from that shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 10 is a top'plan view showing a partially formed bag made on the supporting plate shown in Fig. 9; Inasmuch as the present invention relates to the supporting plate and its bag-forming open- 3'0 ing, I have not thought it necessary to illustrate herein" a complete bag-forming machine but have only shown such portions thereof as may be necessary to give a proper understanding of the invention;

' In Fig. 1, l indicates the supporting plate which has the bag-forming opening 2 therein. The bag material 3 is shown in the form of a web or strip which is taken from a supply roll 4 and is fedto the supporting plate by suitable intermittently 0 operating feed rolls 5. 6 indicates a cutter or shears device by which suitable lengths, each length constituting a blank of bag material, are out from the strip or Web: 3, each blank as it is severed from the web 3 being deposited or placed 45 on the supporting plate lover the, bag-forming opening 2 therein.

opening 2,- thereby causingthe outer portions of 55 the blank to be folded up around the tube by the edges of the bag-forming opening.

During the downward movement of the bagforming tube 8 the bag material is not only forced through the opening 2 but is also forced into and partially through the opening Ill between two jaw members II and I2 that are mounted on a suitable turret I3.

After the bag has been thus formed a charge of tea, coffee or other ingredient is deposited into the tube 8 by which it is conducted into the partially formed bag. The tube 8 is then withdrawn, after which the jaws I8 and I I are closed together thereby to close the mouth of the bag, and a string or fastening device I4 is then tied around the closed mouth of the bag thereby to hold the bag permanently closed. The upwardly projecting corners of the bag material are then trimmed off, thus producing a filled bag I5 as shown in Fig. 8. The parts thus far described, with the exception of the supporting plate I, are such as are commonly used in bag-forming machines such as are exemplified by U. S. Patents No. 1,700,672, January 29, 1929, No. 1,857,662, May 10, 1932, and No. 1,911,805, May 30, 1933.

In the construction shown in Fig. 2 the bagforming opening 2 in the supporting plate I has the central portion I8 of a size to receive the bagforming and filling tube 8, and it also has four vouter-fold-forrningl recesses H which function to form the outer folds in the corner portions of the blank. The supporting plate I is formed with inwardly directed arms I8 which separate the adjacent recesses I1 and the inner end of each arm I8 is provided with a downwardly directed folding flange or skirt I9 by which the inner folds are formed. Each downwardly directed flange I9 has a progressively increasing width from the top to the bottom, and the adjacent lower corners 20 of adjacent flanges are separated by a rela' tively narrow space 2|.

Each arm I8 is shown as having substantially parallel sides, which will result in producing recesses I'I that are wider at their outer portion than at the inner portion where they open into the central part I6 of the bag-receiving opening.

These recesses II are sopositioned in the supporting plate I that they have a diagonal ar-' rangement with respect to the blank I when the latter is deposited on the plate, while the arms 8 have a diametrical relation relative to the blank.

When the blank is forced downwardly through the central portion of the opening 2 by the tube 8, the inner ends of the arms I8 cause the central portion 22 of each side 23 of the blank to fold up against the tube 8, while the corner portions 24 of the blank flow outwardly into the recesses I I. The arms I8 and the flanges I9 thus act on spaced portions of the blank of bag material and fold said spaced portions upwardly against thetube, the intermediate portions, that is, the corner portions 24, meanwhile flowing outwardly into the recesses I'I.

Depending from the back wall 21 of each recess I! is a folding plate or follower 4!. These folding plates are situated opposite the spaces 2| between the folding flanges I9 and they preferably incline inwardly toward their lower end. As the tube 8 continues its downward movement the edges 25 of each inner folding flange I9 form the two inner folds 26 in the bag material which are directed away from each other, and the engagement of the corner portions 24 of the blank with the outer folding walls or flanges 4I flattens said corner portions and'folds the bag material around the ends of the inner folding flanges I9 and at the same time causes the formation in each corner portion of the two outer folds 28 which are also directed away from each other. While the outer folds which are formed from each corner portion of the blank are directed away from each other, yet the outer fold 28 formed in one corner of the blank will be directed toward an adjacent outer fold formed in an adjacent corner of the blank. Similarly, while the two inner folds 2B which are formed from each side portion of the blank by the folding flange I9 are directed away from each other, yet the bag will have an inner fold 26 formed from one side of the blank which is directed toward and is closely adjacent an inner fold formed from an adjacent side of the blank.

For convenience I will regard any two adjacent folds which have their folded edges directed toward each other as a pair of folds, and the bag thus formed will have a plurality of pairs of inner folds 26 with the folds of each pair formed from adjacent sides 23 of the blank, and it will also have a plurality of pairs of outer folds 28 with the two folds of each pair formed from adjacent corner portions of the blank. By giving the bagforming opening 2, together with its recesses I'I, the proper shape and dimensions the bag will be formed with the inner folds of each pair closely adjacent and facing each other, and with such pair of inner folds underlying and covered by a corner portion 24 of the bag. Similarly, the two outer folds 2B of any pair which are formed from two adjacent corner portions 24 of the blank are situated closely together and face each other, and these outer folds overlie the part 23 of the bag which constitutes the central part of each side of the blank.

It will be observed that the inner folds 28 are formed from portions of the bag material relatively near the center of each side, while the outer folds 28 are formed from in the corner portions of the blank. These outer folds 28, therefore, will be somewhat longer than the inher folds, and as a result in the completed bag the shorter inner folds will be tucked within and will be overlapped by the longer outer folds 28.

When the tie string or fastening device I4 is applied to the bag to permanently close the mouth of the latter, said tie string will preferably be located just below the outer ends of the outer folds 28 so that said outer folds 28 will all be enclosed in the fastening device. It is not essential, however, that this tie string I4 should be located below the outer ends of the shorter inner folds 26 because the open ends of these folds are held closed by the overlapping outer folds and consequently a tight non-leaking bag will be produced even if the tie string is located slightly above the outer end of the inner folds, as shown in Fig. 8, so long as said tie string is located below the outer ends of the outer folds.

This makes it possible to form a bag havinga predetermined size from a smaller blank than would be required if it were necessary to place the tie string below the outer ends of the inner folds, and, therefore, this invention has the advantage that it provides a considerable saving in the cost of the material required for making bags of a predetermined size.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the recesses H are symmetrical and this form of supporting plate produces a bag in which the inner folds are all of the same size and the outer folds are also all of the same size.

In Fig. 9 1 have shown a slightly different embodiment of the invention wherein each recess is deeper at one side than at the other. In this embodiment of the invention these recesses, which are indicated at Ila, are made deeper at one end as shown at than at the other end 3| and the back wall 32 of each recess and the corresponding outer folding flange Ma have an angular arrangement with reference to diametrical lines extending through opposed arms [8. With this construction the bag blank will be formed with the inner folds 33, 34 and the outer folds 35, 36 but of the outer folds which are formed from each corner portion of-the blank one of the folds 35 'will be relatively narrow, while the other fold 36 will be relatively wide. Each pair of outer folds, therefore, is formed from one narrow fold 35 and a wide fold 36. These outer folds, however, overlie and close the inner folds so that in the completed bag the shorter inner folds are held closed by the encircling and over' lapping outer folds.

1. A bag-forming machine'comprising a' supporting plate having a bag-forming opening presenting a central portion and a plurality of, recesses outside of but communicating with said 3 central portion, said recesses being separated by arms, an inner folding flange depending from the inner end of each arm and extending circumferentially of the central portion of the bagforming opening, an outer folding flange depending from the back edge of each recess, said inner folding flanges and outer folding flanges having an overlapping relation, and a bag-forming tube adapted to be inserted through the central portion of said opening thereby to force "a blank of bag materialthrough said opening, whereby said arms and inner folding flanges fold spaced portions .of the bag mate-rial up around the tube, intermediate portions of the bag material meanwhile entering the recesses, and said outer fold:- ing flanges folding the'bag material around the ends of the inner folding flanges thereby to form oppositely-disposed pairs of inner folds which are overlapped by oppositely-disposed pairs of outer folds.

2. Abag-formingmachine comprising a supporting plate having a bag-forming opening presenting a central portion and a plurality of recesses outside tlre'central portion but communicating therewith, "said recesses being equally spaced from each other and; being separated by inwardly extending arms, an inner folding flange depending from the inner end of each arm, each inner flange having a progressively increasing width from top to bottom, an outer folding flange depending from the back edge of each recess, said outer flanges inclining inwardly from the top to the bottom, and a bag-forming tube adapted to be inserted through the central portion of said opening thereby to force arectangular blank of bag material through said opening, the inner folding flanges forming in each side of said blank a pair of inner folds and the outer folding flanges forming in each corner portion of the blank a pair of outer folds which overlie the inner folds.

3. A bag-forming machine: comprising a supporting plate having a bag-forming opening presenting a central portion and a plurality of recesses outside of but communicating with said central portion, each recess being wider at the end thereof remote from said central portion than at the end which communicates with said central portion, inner folding flanges depending from said plate at the periphery of the central portion of the opening, there being an inner folding flange between each two adjacent recesses and each inner folding flange extending circumferentially of said central portion, a bag-forming tube 5- adaptedto be inserted through the central portion of said opening thereby to force a blank of bag material through said opening, said inner folding flanges folding spaced portions of the bag material up around the tube, intermediate por- 10 tions of the bag material meanwhile entering said recesses, and means depending from the plate and acting on said portions of the bag material which enter the recesses, thereby to fold the bag material around the ends .of the inner folding 15 flanges and to form oppositely-disposed pairs of inner folds which are overlapped by oppositelydisposed pairs of outer folds.

4. A bag-forming machine comprising a sup porting plate having a bag-forming opening pre- 20:

from said plate at the periphery of the central portion of the opening, there being an inner folding flange between each two adjacent recesses and each inner folding flange extending circum-' ferentially of said central portion, a bag-forming tube adapted to be inserted.- through the central portion of said opening thereby to force a blank of bag material through said opening, said inner folding flanges folding spaced portions of bag material up around the tube, the intermediate portions of the bag material meanwhile entering the recesses, and an outer folding flange depending from the plate at the outer end of each recess and overlapping the adjacent end of the two inner folding flanges either side of said recess, whereby each outer folding flange folds the por- 40 tionof the bag material entering the corresponding recess about the adjacent ends of the two adjacent inner folding flanges thereby to form in the bag material pairs of oppositely-disposed incesses outside of but communicating with said central portion, said recesses being separated by arms, an inner folding flange depending from the inner end of each arm, each inner folding flange being wider than its arm, a bag-forming tube adapted to be inserted through the central portion of said opening thereby to force a blank of bag material through said opening, each inner folding flange acting on the bag material to fold spaced portions thereof up around the tube, the intermediate portions .of said bag material meanwhile entering the recesses, and means acting on such intermediate portions :of the bag material to fold the bag material around the ends of the inner folding flanges thereby to form oppositely-disposed pairs of inner folds which overlie oppositely-disposed pairs of outer folds.

6. A bag-forming machine comprising a supporting plate having a bag-forming opening presenting a central portion and a plurality of separate recesses outside of but communicating with said central portion, a bag-forming tube adapted to be inserted through the central portion of the opening, thereby to force a blank of bag material through said opening, an inner fold-forming element depending from said plate between each two adjacent recesses and acting on bag material as it is forced through the opening to fold spaced portions of the bag material up around the tube, portions of the bag material intermediate said spaced portions meanwhile entering the recesses, and means acting on said intermediate portions and cooperating with the inner fold-forming elements to form in the bag material oppositelyd-isposed pairs of inner folds which are overlapped by oppositely-disposed pairs of outer folds.

'7. A bag-forming machine comprising a supporting plate having a bag-forming opening presenting a central portion and a plurality of separate recesses outside of but communicating with said central portion, a bag-forming tube adapted to be inserted through the central portion of the opening, thereby to force a blank of bag material through said opening, an inner fold-forming flange depending from said plate :between each two adjacent recesses, the adjacent flanges being spaced apart a distance less than the width of the recesses, said flanges acting to fold spaced portions of the bag material up around the tube, portions of the bag material intermediate said spaced portions meanwhile entering the recesses, the back walls of the recesses acting on such intermediate portions of bag material to fold them around the ends of the inner fold-forming flanges, thereby to form oppositely-disposed pairs of inner folds which are overlapped by oppositelydisposed pairs of outer folds.

8. A bag-forming machine comprising a supporting plate having a bag-forming opening presenting a central portion and a plurality of recesses outside of but communicating with said central portion, an inner folding flange depending from the inner end of each of the portions of the plate which separate adjacent recesses, each flange being wider than the portion of the plate from which it depends, a bag-forming tube adapted to be inserted through the central portion of said opening thereby to force a blank of bag material through said opening, said inner folding flanges acting on spaced portions of the bag material to fold them up around the tube, intermediate portions of the bag material mean while entering the recesses, and means acting on such intermediate portions of the bag material to fold them around the ends of the inner folding flanges, thereby to form oppositely-disposed pairs of inner folds which are overlapped by oppositelydisposed pairs of outer folds.

9. A bag-forming machine comprising a supporting plate having a bag-forming opening presenting a central portion and a plurality of recesses outside of but communicating with said central portion, said recesses being separated by arms and each recess being at least as wide at its outer end as it is at its inner end where it communicates with the central portion, an inner plural fold-forming flange depending from the inner end of each arm and having a greater width than said arm, an outer plural fold-forming flange depending from the back edge of each recess and a bag-forming tube adapted to be inserted through the central portion of said opening, thereby to force a blank of bag material through said opening whereby said arms and the inner plural fold-forming flanges fold spaced portions of the bag material up around the tube, intermediate portions of the bag material meanwhile entering the recesses, and the outer plural fold-forming flanges fold the bag material around the ends of the inner fold-forming flanges, thereby to produce pairs of oppositelydisposed inner folds which are overlapped by pairs of oppositely-disposed outer folds.

10. A bag-forming machine comprising a supporting plate having a bag-forming opening presenting a central portion and a plurality of recesses outside of but communicating with said central portion, said recesses being relatively wide at their outer ends and being separated by inwardly directed arms, an inner two-fold folding flange depending from the inner end of each arm and extending peripherally of said central portion, an outer two-fold folding flange depending from the back edge of each recess, the outer folding flanges having an overlapping relation with respect to the inner folding flanges, and a bag-forming tube adapted to be inserted through the central portion of said opening, thereby to force a blank of bag material through said opening, whereby the arms and inner two-fold folding flanges fold spaced portions of the bag material up around the tube, intermediate portions of the bag material meanwhile entering the recesses, and the'outer two-fold folding flanges folding the said intermediate portions of [bag material around the ends of the inner folding flanges, thereby forming oppositely-disposed pairs of inner folds which are overlapped by oppositely-disposed pairs of outer folds.

RALPH N. DOBLE. 

